Njoren, 23 October 2018 – After yesterday’s handing over of 400,000 dalasi worth of supplies and stationery to the region, today saw the official inauguration of the teaching-staff living quarters of Njoren Basic Cycle school – a 100,000 plus dalasi community project funded by The Bansang Swiss Project.
The Bansang Swiss project sourced the building material in The Gambia and hired a local contractor, in line with its ethos of supporting the local economy and Gambian domestic trade and growth. The inauguration ceremony which started with a warm welcome by the villagers was held in the grounds of Njoren Basic Cycle School, where the community celebrated the completion of living quarters designed to replace the previous precarious living arrangements of some of the school’s teachers. The School Management Committee Chairman, Ali Touray, addressed the attendees with a message of thanks as well as detailing the needs of the village, ahead of further potential partnerships. The project, which spanned 8 months, is a partnership between the local Community and the Swiss association. This partnership has been commemorated by the association with a plaque which was also unveiled today, shortly before the ribbon was cut.
Discussing the partnership behind the construction of this building, Caroline (Briggs) Ambrosi de Magistris Verzier – Founder of the association, said: “This project was an exciting and smooth process which engaged the community, our partners on the ground and the whole team in Switzerland. I am proud to be involved in a joint effort which will allow the village of Njoren to have more teachers and therefore improve the quality of the students’ learning experience and the welfare of their teachers. “
Started in December 2017, The Bansang Swiss Project is a family run non-profit association whose goal is to support the education of youths in the Region of Bansang. The organisation is committed to supporting local initiatives geared towards empowering the next generation through education.
Praising the project, Yahya Faal, Region 5 co-ordinator of The Bansang Swiss Project, said: “ The completed staff building in Njoren is a great complement to the government’s efforts towards housing these teachers living in hard-to-reach areas. Having seen with their own eyes the state of existing structure, a joint plan was devised and implemented to respond to the needs of the teachers. I am glad that we are now able to inaugurate appropriate facilities to be used for years to come.”
Discussing the importance of this partnership for the Gambian community, Adelaide Sosseh, Vice Chair of the Truth, Reconciliation, and reparation commission of The Gambia said: “The Bansang Swiss Project is a fantastic initiative and their contribution to the Bansang community and The Gambia at large is exemplary. My long standing belief that education will be the force behind Gambian growth is once again strengthened in seeing this partnership, working together towards providing quality education for Gambian children. It is evident that the government cannot do it alone and such partnerships are required to attain the EFA goals by 2030.”
